1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an audience selection type augmented broadcasting service providing apparatus and method that may increase a viewing pleasure by additionally displaying augmented contents, for example, images, videos, graphics, and the like, selected by an audience, in a partial area on a broadcast screen.
2. Description of the Related Art
An audience selection type augmented broadcasting service may refer to a service for transmitting a digital broadcast stream by incorporating information associated with an area or an object in a broadcast image into a conventional broadcast stream, and providing an audience with additional contents, hereinafter, referred to as augmented contents, in which broadcasting companies or third-party agents integrated with the broadcast image are displayed. Accordingly, the audience may select preferred augmented contents, and may view the selected augmented contents along with the broadcast image.
Augmented reality refers to a technology for integrating a computer graphics based virtual object or information with an actual image captured by a camera in order for the virtual object or the information to be displayed in a manner similar to an object present in an original actual environment. Ever since the augmented reality technology appeared in the early 1990s, the augmented reality technology active research and development has been conducted on applying the technology to various fields. However, due to constraints of hardware and software technologies for graphic processing, application of the augmented reality technology has been limited to fields with strong capital support, for example, aircraft manufacturing, broadcasting, and the like.
In particular, in a scheme of applying the augmented reality technology to a broadcast, as known through an example of virtual advertising, a single new image may be reconstructed and transmitted by integrating a video, an image, or a virtual graphic with an actual image captured by a camera, using a high-performance system. Reception in a television (TV) terminal may be performed in the same manner as a typical broadcast image being received, and all audiences viewing a corresponding broadcast may view an identical image.
With recent developments of computer graphics technology and hardware/software technology for a terminal, a mobile augmented reality service using a smart phone is widespread. In addition, a variety of augmented reality services has led to an increase in satisfaction of users based on distribution systems, for example, App Store, an Internet connection function and varied sensor interfaces provided by a terminal platform of a smart phone, and the like.
By applying a technology such as a platform of a smart phone to a TV or a settop for TV service, various user experiences through a combination of a broadcast, a communication, the Internet, an application, and the like may be provided, and a new application service using an intelligent platform is being developed.